Mail-hook.



J, HAMMOND. MAIL HOOK. APPLICATIOH FILED DEO.17, 1909.

Patented. Apr. 5, 1910.

JC'HN LAMMDND, GTE LINEVILLE, IGXVA.

Application filed December 1?, 1969. S-E

To all whom it may concern.-

Be it known that 1, JOHN Ila .uwroxn. a citizen ot the United States. residing at Lineville, in the county of Vr ayne and State lowa, have invented a new and useful nilail-l'loolg of which the Following is a. specification. 4

This invei'ition relates to devices for collecting mail and delivering the same within a moving mail car and consists in certain novel 'l eatures of construction and arrangement which will be li reinatler first tullv described and then specifically claimed. I

In the annexed drawings which tally illustrate my inventiom l igure 1 is a. sidh elevation of a portion of a mail car ha ving my improved device applied thereto. 2 is a plan view of the improved mail catcher in its operative position. Fig. 3 a detail perspective view of one of the supports.

The mail car 1 is provided with the usual door or opening in its side and in the sides of the said opening l secure brackets or hearings 2 which are in the form of a casting adapted to be bolted to either side of a door opening and provided with central vertical opening 3 and a stop or proje lion 4 at its upper end. The beam is provided with a dmvn-turned end or ournal (3 which is inserted in a central opening 3 of a bracket 2, and the beam is removably held in the said bracket or hearing by a latch pin 7 inserted into the downturned end (3 below the lower bearing, as shown, and as will be readily understood. At the free end of the beam 5 is provided a handle 8 to facilitate the swinging of the beam into the car and at the proper point of the beam the fork 9 is swivelcd thereon. This fork 9 is provided with a bag-rcceiving and holding kink or loop 10 at one side of the beam and at the opposite side of the beam the fork is pro- 'vided with a handle 11 by means of which it may be manipulated. In order to limit the inward movement of the beam and to sustain the weight of the mail bag when the beam is swung inward a chain or other flexible connection 12 is provided, the said chain having its lower end attached to the beam and its upper end attached to a hook or similar device 13 on the side of the door opening.

The normal position ot the parts is shown in Fig. 1 and in the said figure the fork 9 is in a vertical plane. When the mail pouch Specification of Letters Patent.

'l atented lpr. 5E. Lilli is to be taken from the mail crane at a statiom the fork is swung into a horizontal position, as indicated in dotted lines in Fig. 2. the mail cler; swinging the handle 11 inward and downward for this purpose. The ruitstanding arm of the lork will thus be brought into posit-ion to engage the pouch held by the crane adjacent the track and as the car moves past the crane the bag will be engaged by the :liork and swept into the kink or bend it) where it will be held and by which it will be carried from the crane. is soon as the pouch has been caught by the kink ot the fork tl e clerk swings the beam inward by means of the handle 8 into the position shown in dotted lines in Fig. 2 so as to bring the mail bag within the. car where it may be easily detached from the fork. as will be understood.

By relerring to Fig. 1 of the drawing it will be seen that the hook 13 is not located directly over the vertical opening 3 but is, instead, nearer the outer face of the ear. lt will be apparent, therefore, that when the beam swung inward the chain 12 will be drawn taut and thereby limit the inward movement of the beam so as to prevent the same swinging inward to such an extent as to injure occupants of the car or strike against and damage any ot the lite. cases or other furniture therein. The chain will also aid in supporting the weight of the mail bag so as to relieve the journal of the beam of unnecessary strain. In the normal position oi the parts the beam 5 will be supported by the bearings 2 at the opposite sides of the door opening and will be prevented from swinging outward beyond the car by the stops t on the bearings, as clearly shown, the free end of the fork resting on the upper end of the bracket at the side of the door opposite the side on which it is journaled. The fork will thereby be prevented from assuming a position in which it will not properly engage the suspended mail pouch and the operator will also be guarded against falling from the car through his efforts to reach and operate the device. it will be readily understood that the device may be applied to a. car so as to operate from either side of the door opening.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim is:

1. The combination with spaced bearings. of a beam mounted to swing horizontally upon one of the bearings said beam being normally supported by both bearings, means upon the bearings and projecting into the path of the beam for limiting the movement of said beam in one direction, and a fork mounted to swing on the beam.

2. The combination with a supporting structure, of a beam mounted to swing hori- Zontally relative to the structure, means for limiting the movement of the beam in one direction, a flexible support connected to the beam, and attached to the structure at a point out of alinement with the axis of rotation of the beam, said support constituting means for limiting the swinging movement of the beam in one direction, and a fork pivotally mounted upon the beam.

3. The combination with a supporting structure and bearings secured to the structure, of a beam pivotally mounted upon one of the bearings and normally supported by both of said bearings, there being means integral with the bearings for limiting the movement of the beam in one direction, said beam being adapted to swing horizontally, a flexible connection between the beam and the supporting structure, said connection being attached to the structure above but out of alinement with the axis of rotation of the beam, and constituting means for limiting the swinging movement of the beam in one direction, and a fork swiveled upon the beam.

4. The combination with a car structure having an opening therein, and bearings secured to opposite sides of the opening, of a beam extending transversely of said open ing and pivotally connected to one of the bearings, said beam being normally supported by both of the bearings, means upon the bearings for preventing the beam swinging outwardly from the opening, a flexible support secured to the beam and connected to one side of the opening above the beam and out of alinement with the axis of rotation of the beam, said connection constituting means for limiting the swinging movement of the beam inwardly from the open ing, and a fork swiveled upon the beam.

In testimony that I claim the foregoing as my own, I have hereto aflixed my signature in the presence of two witnesses.

JOHN HAMMOND.

Vitnesses G. \V. MaLLnsToN, R. E. MALLEs'rox. 

